


Hubble

by ScullyLovesQueequeg



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Domestic, F/M, Incomplete, Mulder has a cat, Pet Adoption, Season/Series 06, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:48:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26636098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScullyLovesQueequeg/pseuds/ScullyLovesQueequeg
Summary: Mulder finds an absolute scrapper of a cat and decides to take him in. He recruits Scully to help him, and during the course of this journey, they explore a domestic lifestyle that could have been theirs.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 1
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [msrafterdark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/msrafterdark/gifts).



> Just a couple of things to note:
> 
> \- This was written by me more than 4 years ago when I was of a different mindset. It's not my usual fare, and it is probably the fluffiest thing I have ever written, along the lines of Can I Have This Dance? (It was written around the same time period). So unless I go back and do something drastic, you don't have to worry about anything happening to the cat. It's also why it's so dramatic.
> 
> -It's also not finished. It's a MESS. I'm so sorry ahead of time. I do plan to finish this, hopefully by Dec. Someone hold me to this. 
> 
> \- This is dedicated to the very talented [Meg](http://msrafterdark.tumblr.com), who has always encouraged me to write, and the person I originally wrote this for. You have the patience of a saint. 4 years.

The quiet that had settled throughout the apartment was only accentuating the fact that she was the only person in it. The air had a sort of gathering gloom to it, and Scully sighed as she considered, for a moment, calling Mulder. She let the thought fade, shaking her head dismissively, and turned over again to go back to sleep, trying to ignore the quiet murmurings of a heart that was being denied a chance to beat freely.

The day started out very normal. Scully got out of bed around 11 and got ready to do her laundry at the laundromat that was a couple of blocks away.

At 1:30, she finished in time to grab lunch at a nearby diner, and then having done that, she set out for the store, hoping to get some grocery shopping finished, and then some cleaning. Scully did not like to waste what little time she had to herself on the weekends, especially since Mulder had been unusually quiet. She almost missed his daily call, although she did not have her cell phone on her at the moment, in case he did actually call. But she knew that if he did, it would be to work, and of course… she did not want to.

When she was done with grocery shopping, she briefly considered going to the park for a jog, but the sudden downpour (in the winter, no less!) that started just as she approached her home deterred her, and she instead made up her mind to stay inside for the rest of the day. That was fine with her, seeing as she had a couple of emails to respond to, and a couple of recorded shows she still had not gotten around to watching.

Her plans had gone, for the most part smoothly. With everything she had waiting to do finished, she decided to take a nap. That is until it was interrupted, however by her doorbell ringing. She was taken by surprise—Mulder hadn't called, and she hadn't been expecting company, but there he was, standing at the door when she opened it, a little wet from the rain and carrying a shivering bundle.

“Scully, I need your help,” Mulder said, making his way past her, and not waiting for her to invite him in. It was a little past 8. Scully just stared at him in disbelief as he deposited the shivering bundle on her table, and then left to get some towels. While Mulder was raiding her linen closet, she took a closer look at what he had put on the table and was surprised to find a one-eyed cat, covered in dirt and some blood where the missing eye had been, looking back at her. It looked to be in bad shape with various injuries of differing severity, and she didn't even want to begin to think about what had caused the mess.

“Mulder!” She gasped out in surprise, just as Mulder dumped the items he had been carrying, unceremoniously on the table. He gave her a sheepish smile but made a vague motion to her phone.

“I need you to look in the Yellow Pages for an animal hospital. I'm sorry I came in on short notice, but Hubble needs help.” Mulder said, wrapping the cat up in towels. It was quiet, abnormally so, which scared Mulder even more, since he had expected it to be in pain.

“Mulder, I just washed those…” Scully muttered helplessly, as she glanced up from the Georgetown phone directory. There was an animal hospital located in Foggy Bottom, which she copied down the address for. She watched as Mulder lifted the towel wrapped cat and brought it with him to where Scully was flipping through the phone book.

“I found a place in Foggy Bottom… There's also a kennel I know of where you can put the cat when he comes out of the hospital,” Scully said, using her hand to sweep her hair over her ear and out of her face. Mulder ignored the remark about the kennel, but he nodded.

“Okay, we’ll go there. Uh, do you want to come with me…?” Mulder asked though he could tell by the look on Scully’s face that she was repulsed by the entire situation. Without waiting for her response, Mulder shook his head and headed for the door. Scully let out a sigh and looked at the mess Mulder left in his wake, before going to clean it up after him.

* * *

It was just after 10 when Scully arrived at the animal hospital. She wasn't sure if Mulder had eaten, so she brought him a sandwich in case. She spotted Mulder in the waiting room of the ICU, dozing off in a chair. He was alone, a half-finished crossword puzzle in the seat next to him. Quietly, Scully sat down next to him, and the movement caused Mulder to wake. When he saw her, he gave her a worried smile.

“Hey Scully. Thanks for coming, you really didn't have to.” He said, his voice unusually soft. There was a hint of tenderness, but she refused to acknowledge it, instead sliding the sub sandwich into his lap.

“I thought you were probably hungry and could use the company. How’s the animal doing?”

“I'm not sure. I haven't seen any doctors in a while… I'm afraid that Hubble died, and no one wants to tell me,” Mulder said, with a glance off in the direction the nurse’s station was. Somehow, Scully doubted this.

"Hubble?" When the name clicked, it caused her to look over at Mulder, who had moved so that he was sitting leaned forward, looking somewhat dejectedly at the tiled floor. "You already named him..." Her tone spoke to the disapproval she felt.

"Well, I mean, I can't just give him away... who knows what he's been through? He'll probably end up just as paranoid as me if he pulls through, just to have me give him up. Besides, you’re always mentioning how alone I am in my apartment. Now I have Hubble along with my fish...”

His tone reminded Scully of a small child, and she realized, that he probably had not really experienced the responsibility of owning a pet when he was younger. She did not know which thought made her sadder: this or the thought of Mulder in a home broken enough to have not owned any pets.

Scully didn't know what to say, but she was spared by one of the veterinarians coming over. Reading the somber look on her face, Scully instinctively reached over for Mulder’s free hand and grasped it. He glanced over to her briefly to acknowledge the action, but his attention was quickly redirected to the vet, who had stopped a couple of feet away from the pair and was removing her facial mask.

“You two are here for the cat, right? Hubble, was it?”

“Yeah. What's the prognosis?” Scully asked, passing her thumb over Mulder’s knuckles in a gentle way. The action had a calming effect on him.

“It looks like your cat is going to be fine. The injuries were a couple of days old, except the tail--I'm afraid it's going to be crooked like that. In the meantime, we cleaned him up and gave him an eye patch to wear, and we also are going to gave him a course of antibiotics, to make sure he's okay. We’ll also give him his shots, but since we gave him his antibiotics and fixed him, we’re going to wait until next week to give him those shots, and then he's all yours. He's going to have to be here for a week—we would like to monitor him for a couple of days, if that's okay with you?”

“Well, technically, he's not my cat, I found him, but I plan on keeping him,” Mulder answered nervously. The vet nodded.

“That's fine, as long as we have permission to continue?”

Mulder glanced at Scully, who was wearing a small frown, but she nodded.

“Yeah, that's fine,” Mulder answered. The vet smiled and nodded and handed him paperwork to fill regarding treatment and cost. Scully and Mulder poured over the info to the best of their knowledge.

* * *

On the last day of Hubble’s stay at the hospital, Mulder woke up with a nervous flutter in his belly. Scully hadn't wanted to get too involved in the process but helped him choose some supplies for the cat and been with him every day at the hospital. He’d already gotten a collar for the cat, with a tag in the shape of a UFO that said **HUBBLE MULDER** on it, and his address. Scully hadn't found the tag terribly cute, but she liked the collar, which she picked. Mulder was incredibly excited to bring his newfound charge home, and when it came time to take the cat to his apartment, he called Scully over to celebrate.

When Scully came over, Mulder took a moment to answer the door, but she saw that he was already bonding with the cat, which was sitting on the couch and watching her with his good eye. The eye patch reminded Scully of their cigarette smoking friend for some inexplicable reason.

“Hey Scully, thanks for coming over, I figured that uh, you'd be hungry, so I ordered some pizza, and um—well, come in I guess,” Mulder mumbled, ushering her in. Scully was amazed; she had not seen Mulder this unsure in a long time. He immediately went over to the couch, and the cat moved to sit on the back. Scully was a little reluctant to sit on the couch, not particularly fond of cat fur, but Mulder patted a seat nearby and she sat.

“So how does it feel to have a cat?” Scully asked, turning part way to look at it. It stared back at her, sitting stone still. The stare was intrusive, and she found it unsettling, despite the soft purring noise the cat was making.

“Oh, I like it a lot. I think he's really happy… And I think he likes you a lot, he hasn't stopped purring since you walked in. I guess he remembers you.”

“I'm glad. He’s very…” She didn't know how to describe the cat without offending Mulder. It had been shaved in different places to facilitate the surgery and looked relatively unkempt. The hospital did a great job of cleaning him, but he still had the distinctive look of having been picked off the street. In fact, the more she looked at it, the more she was reminded of Mulder.

“He's not bad for a cat. I got him to use the litter box, and he does his cat thing and lets me do my… Decidedly not cat thing. He likes to follow me around a lot. I think he knows I saved him. I'm glad because to be truthful, he saved me from a very lonely existence here. It's nice to have someone to have around to talk to—you seem less strange, I guess.” Mulder said, although Scully doubted that the cat knew, or cared for Mulder. She did not argue with him, recalling fondly her own experience with her dog. She only had the dog a short time, but he filled a void in her life that had been a lonely one, and now that he was gone, she found it even worse. As far as Scully was concerned, cats were slaves to their own whimsical desires, and natural curiosity.

“I think that's great,” Scully said, pausing to push her hair back behind her ears and out of her eyes. She offered Mulder one of her rare smiles; she was genuinely happy that Mulder had found something else to pour his boundless energy into, although part of her wondered why if he'd been so lonely, he hadn't ever mentioned it before.

“Do you get lonely a lot?” Scully asked, as the cat hopped down and curled up on Mulder’s lap. Instinctively, he began to scratch behind its ears.

“Sometimes. I mean, at night, I do. It's really quiet around here.”

“You know you could always call me if you feel that way,” Scully said, and Mulder looked over at her, as if he had only just noticed her presence. “I wish you would, actually.”

“I didn't know it was something I could do. I always thought that my late-night calls bothered you. But if you’re asking…” Mulder said, and for some reason, Scully felt her gut jolt in an excited way, although it was involuntary. She was sure it was not connected to what he had said.

“I am asking. I'd wouldn't mind getting some late-night calls from you. Just as long as it's not to go somewhere or...” Scully said softly, her attention focused on the cat. It had its eye closed but was still purring. Her statement made Mulder laugh a little.

“OK, that's fine, I'll try to call every now and then. I'll tell Hubble to say hi, too.” Mulder said, playing with the cat’s ears. Scully couldn't help but smile at this, and slowly, she reached out to pet the cat as well. There was a brief moment where neither the cat, Mulder or Scully moved, but once her fingers brushed down the length of fur that started and stopped intermittently down the nape of the cat’s neck, it began to purr again, and she felt Mulder shift closer to her, so she had easier access to the cat on his lap. It was a strangely intimate moment that neither Mulder nor Scully chose to ruin with any words, though when she was done petting the animal, she let her head rest on Mulder’s shoulder. It never occurred to him how tired she must have been, considering she was at the hospital with him every day, just as late, making sure Hubble had the stuff he needed and that he was well taken care of.

“…I never thanked you for coming with me every day to the hospital. I really appreciate you being there for me.” His voice was low and tender, and Scully felt her insides jolt again. She sat up again, so they could continue the conversation.

“It's the least I could do,” She uttered, with a sleepy undertone, and she felt the cat crawl into her lap. Instinctively, her hand went to pet the cat, but instead, she found herself touching Mulder’s hand. He withdrew his hand quickly and murmured an apology.

“It’s okay,” She said, taking his wrist and guiding his hand to where the cat was. She watched as he drew his hand slowly, (deliberately so) over the cat’s back. The cat purred loudly and glanced up at Scully with his eye, his pupil dilated to show he was content.

* * *

The next week, went by without incident. Mulder did not bring up his cat, nor did Scully ask, though she could tell he was still getting used to it. Neither of them spoke of that night at all, but on Wednesday evening, Scully showed up unexpectedly at his door. It was snowing, and she came in, deposited her bags on the table, shed her coat, and started to shake off her umbrella.

“Hey Scully,” Mulder said, surprised that Scully would come over unannounced. Hubble was on the kitchen counter, but upon seeing Scully, he jumped down to greet her, and sniff the umbrella she was shaking out.

“I went shopping,” She said, moving to pet Hubble. Mulder went to get her a dry towel. Hubble climbed on to the dining table and observed Scully as she dried herself and then unpacked the things she had brought. She took out a toy mouse and held it out to Hubble.

“This is yours. I noticed you don't have very many toys. This is also yours,” Scully said, taking out a box that depicted a bed for a cat on it. Mulder walked back in as she was in the middle of setting stuff on the table, and he was impressed. He gave her the towel, which she used to dry her hair a little with.

“All this stuff is for me?” Mulder asked, and Scully shook her head.

“No, most of it is for Hubble. This is for you, though,” Scully said, taking out a lint roller and handing it to him. For Hubble, she opened a can of wet cat food and gave it to him in a new bowl that she'd gotten for him with his name on it.

“You didn't have to get anything…” Mulder said quietly, watching Scully put the rest of the supplies for the cat away. When she was finished, she put the plastic bags away, and threw out the paper ones, and then sat in a chair. Mulder joined her at the table. He was admiring the bowl, which had the cat’s full name on it.

“I was thinking of maybe changing his name to add your last name too,” Mulder said quietly, watching the cat’s tail move as it ate. Scully looked over, but she shook her head.

“I'd rather you not. That's a big commitment I'm not ready to make…”

“I love how you say that, and then you come over with a bunch of stuff for him, his own bowl, and food like he’s your cat. And he isn't! He’s _our_ cat. You helped me rescue him, and if it wasn't for you, he wouldn't be here,” Mulder said, his voice still low, but bordering on argumentative.

“Mulder, you're making a mountain out of a molehill,” Scully said, dismissively.

“Am I, _Dana_?”

At the mention of her first name, her blood ran cold. It was a name she didn't think she would ever hear him say again, and now he had weaponized it, and it kept her rooted to the chair, her heart beating wildly.

“Don't--don't call me that. You don't get to call me that, not now. I'm done here, _Mulder_.” She said, standing. Mulder stood too, but he moved to grab her wrist. She turned to face him, and for a moment, she thought he was going to yell. He dropped her wrist when he realized what he had done, however.

“Oh, now you want to play house?” She asked, taking her wrist back, and holding it. He hadn't grabbed it hard, but the move surprised Scully, who was used to his less direct ways of moving her about. She tossed the towel back at him, which he put aside on the table.

“Damn it, Scully, I just—I just wanted to share this with you, because the cat makes me happy and so do you.” His tone was indifferent, as was his features and body language, but she also knew that Mulder was very good at masking his emotions at times.

She wasn't sure what to say, so she said nothing.

“Please don't go. I'm sorry I grabbed you like that.” His voice had not changed in tone. Still, she was not sure how to respond, and now the cat was in on it, brushing against her leg and purring. Scully glanced down at the cat, and scooped it up, but stepped outside of the apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

She half expected Mulder to come out of the apartment after her, but he did not and holding the cat with one arm, she set to petting it with the other. Hubble glanced up at her and let out a little chirrup of contentment.

“I'm not mad at you Hubble, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just, Mulder doesn't understand how big of a commitment he's asking me to undertake, with helping him to care for you, and I'm afraid that in doing so, we’ll overstep our boundaries. I'm flattered by the idea that Mulder wants me of all people to help him raise you. I'm even more touched that his reasoning was because you and I both make him happy, even though I'm sure it's only really true for you… But I don't want to pretend we are anything more than coworkers.” Her words were softly spoken, and rolled down Hubble’s spine, splashing off his flank similar to how the bucket that was just a little down the ways from Mulder’s door was collecting the melting snow that was on the roof and leaking through the ceiling.

The hallway was quiet and still save for the erratic dripping of water into the bucket, and she wondered if Mulder had been listening on the other side of the door. The usual muffled TV noises from the apartment next door to Mulder’s was absent and created a sort of empty sort of feeling that gave her the impression that everyone had left. It was a very lonely feeling, and she realized that quite like her apartment, Mulder was isolated, too.

* * *

When she made her way back into Mulder’s apartment, she found him sitting at the window, arms crossed over his chest, deep in thought. He hadn't heard her come in, but when she lowered Hubble onto the floor and he heard the familiar clicking of his tags, Mulder knew Scully had returned. He turned to look at her slowly when the lights flickered. The wind outside howled and Mulder and Scully locked eyes for a moment. The lights flickered again before they were thrown into darkness.

“Shit, the power’s out…” Mulder said, standing to feel his way to his desk drawer. Scully was more worried about Hubble, who had taken to hiding under the table.

“Mulder?” She spoke his name tentatively, as though unsure if he was still there.

“I'm here,” Mulder said, his voice coming from across the apartment. A beam of light illuminated her path from his flashlight, and she made her way over to his couch. He joined her, and after lighting some candles, they sat in the soft candlelight. Mulder was on the floor, being mindful of the spot where Ostelhoff had died; Scully was stretched out on the couch, lounging around with the cat nearby. She was close enough to Mulder that if she reached down, she could touch his head.

“Mulder,” She spoke softly, her fingers stroking the cat gently. It had stopped purring when the thunder rumbled but it had since resumed, and she was suddenly reminded of the first night her and Mulder had worked together.

“Hmm?”

“I appreciate what you said about helping to care for Hubble here. I really do. I'm flattered about it, but the truth of the matter is that I respect you too much, and I don't want to be crossing any boundaries when it comes to our relationship.”

“That's fair enough,” Mulder said, leaning his head back and staring at the ceiling. There was a small hole in it, from when he was being spied on, but the other side had long been covered, leaving a black void, into which Mulder stared.

Scully noted that his tone was one of defeat, and that he seemed genuinely disappointed. She could not ascertain exactly why, but she did not press it further, instead, watching Hubble climb down off the couch and onto the floor near Mulder.

“I'm glad you came over today,” Mulder said, and Scully glanced down at him, the soft candlelight illuminating his features.

“I figured you were probably lonely… And that Hubble could use some toys.” Scully said, and Mulder turned to face her, so that they were only inches apart. For a moment, she locked eyes with him, but then he stood up and made his way to the window, with Hubble close at his heels. Scully stood up and joined them, placing a hand on his forearm. He was masking his feelings again, that much she knew. She had a vague idea of how he was feeling, but it didn't even come close to the actual emotion she could see when he turned to face her, and she caught that look again in his eyes. It was the same one he had when they were at the hospital, only months before for her sickness. She knew this look, even if she couldn't name it. He leaned in, and she knew what was coming; she had dreaded and pleaded for it all at the same time, but now fear filled her and at that moment, she couldn't be more happier when Hubble meowed loudly for attention, and Mulder was stopped from completing his action: to kiss her.

She looked away, her hand covering her face in modesty, as Mulder sought to figure out what was wrong with the cat. It only took a moment for him to realize that it wanted attention, but when he turned back to Scully, he found she had already walked off, and was in the process of putting her coat on.

“You're leaving?” Mulder’s question was reflexive rather than a genuine query, and Scully glanced over her shoulder at him.

“It's getting late. I need to get going home. I'm sorry I came over unannounced.”

“I'm not. I'm glad. I always enjoy your company. Could you maybe come over tomorrow?” Mulder was holding the cat in his arms, and Scully felt her insides flutter. She didn't even like cats but seeing Mulder handle one and wanting to share the experience with her made her think of how lonely her own apartment was, and the little girl she’d lost—Emily. No doubt, in his own strange way, Mulder wanted to give her something she couldn't have.

She must have been crying because Mulder walked over and embraced her. She didn't even realize it, but when she felt his warm chest, she let out a single sob, and closed her eyes tightly.

A couple of minutes passed by and she disengaged him, and wiped under her eyes carefully, being mindful of her makeup. She took a seat on the couch, and finally, when she looked up, she found Mulder had gone to get her a bottle of water.

“I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me,” Scully said, taking the water from him, and drinking it. Mulder shrugged, but he muttered an apology.

“You—you didn't do anything, Mulder. I… I just haven't really been in such a good place mentally. I really do like the idea of helping you with Hubble, in fact, maybe if things had gone differently… We’d have a child instead.”

“I think you give me far too much credit there,” Mulder said with an awkward laugh, which Scully dismissed with a sad smile.

“The point is… as much as I want to enjoy this, I keep thinking that maybe something will go wrong.”

“But so what? So what if something goes wrong? People make mistakes all the time—if we’re all too afraid to do things for fear of failing, nothing would get done. You're not all alone here--I'm here too, and I think that we can figure this out—we just have to give it a shot. If not for me, then for Hubble?”

“Okay,” Scully said, closing her eyes. Mulder nodded and took a seat next to her. The lights flickered on and the power was back, but having gotten used to the the lighting, Mulder stood up to turn the lights off. “I really should be going home, though.”

“Oh, uh yeah…” There was a reluctance to his voice, but he stood up to grab his coat. “I'll drive you back.”

“Mulder, I'm fine, my car is outside,” Scully said, standing and playing with the end of her scarf.

“Okay, okay…” He removed his coat but still seemed reluctant to let her go. Regardless, he walked her to the door.

“I'll be back tomorrow, I promise. I'll be here early.”

“Why don't you just sleep over?”

It was a question he hadn't meant to ask, and he regret asking it as soon as it came out of his mouth. He glanced away, but she laughed, breathlessly.

“A bit forward, huh?”

“It was a stupid idea. I'm sorry. I just thought I would save you the trip…” Mulder admitted, but Scully smiled.

“If it's alright with you, I wouldn't mind.”

“Oh uh, okay…” Mulder said, closing the door. Hubble was sitting on the recliner, but when he saw Scully hadn't left, he hopped down to investigate the toy mouse she had given to him earlier.

“I hope you don't mind sleeping on the couch,” Mulder said, getting out some blankets and putting them on the back of the couch. Scully shrugged off her things and hung them up.

“Where are you going to sleep?”

“On the recliner… I mean, I have a bed but… It's a pain in the ass to get to it. I hope you don't mind.”

“I don't mind, but I can't imagine that's very comfortable for you.”

Mulder shrugged.

“It's just for a night. Besides, I got my buddy, Hubble here. Right pal?” The cat looked up at him but hopped over to the couch and curled up on top of the blankets.

“Your treachery knows no bounds. I am surrounded by foes.” Mulder said dramatically, feigning a fall into the recliner. This show of theatrics made Scully smile, though she looked away to hide the evidence, lest she mistakenly give Mulder the idea that she found him amusing.

Hubble hopped over the recliner to check if Mulder was okay, but when he determined Mulder was still alive, he sat down on his chest. This made Scully laugh in earnest, as she prepared the blankets on the couch to her liking.

“My foe, he stands over my triumphantly, and I am left a ruined corpse. Only true love’s kiss will bring me back.” Mulder said, though Scully rolled her eyes. Hubble stood up and licked Mulder’s face.

“I was hoping for Scully but Hubble, you saved me!” He scooped up the cat and sat up, watching Scully settle into the makeshift bed. It looked more like a nest the way she made it up, but it was endearing. When she caught him staring, she blinked.

“…what?”

“Nothing. You just look comfy there. I'm just thinking about how lucky the three of us are.”

“To have each other?”

“And to be here, in general.” Mulder said, reaching over to grab an unused blanket for himself and Hubble.

* * *

The next day saw the pair bright and early visiting the local pet shop. They squabbled on the way there about what to get, and what not to get, and then—when they realized they were acting like a couple, they laughed it off.

“How about this?” Scully asked, holding up a cat sweater when they were in the pet store.

“Uh, no. He’s going to wear this,” Mulder said, holding up a Baltimore Ravens jersey. He had already a couple of sports related things picked out for the cat.

Scully rolled her eyes.

“I thought this was supposed to be a mutual decision.”

“It is! He's not wearing a sweater that'll make people laugh at him!”

“Mulder, he's an indoor cat! Who is going to see him?!”

“Your mom, my mom… I'm going to send them pictures. I have a Polaroid back home we can use.” This made Scully smile, but only briefly.

“Mulder, no. We can't do that. Just because—just because we’re both raising this cat… People will get the wrong idea. They'll think we’re a desperate couple.” Scully explained while comparing the prices on two more cat sweaters. Mulder watched her in disbelief.

“Okay, well, we’re doing the best we can right now, considering the circumstances.” Scully glanced over at him, but did not answer, because she got the sense he was not finished. She handed over the sweaters, the cat food, and some cat litter, as well as some grooming supplies. Mulder paid for them, and they carried the things out to the car. The pair of them worked in tandem silently, and when they were ready to leave, Mulder finally continued,

“If I could give you the one thing you wanted the most, I would. I know it doesn't seem like it but… I wanted it for you too. I wanted to see you happy.”

“I am happy, Mulder.” Her voice was quiet, maybe even indignant.

“Are you, though?” He glanced at her, and her gaze was fixed on a point just beyond his line of vision, out ahead of them.

“I'm doing the best I can.”

“Yeah, but… You deserve so much more.” The last part was spoken so softly that it was more of a sigh.

“And so do you. But you're here, in this car, buying things for a cat you didn't even know existed until a week ago, with a person you didn't even know 5 years ago. It's just how life is.” Scully said.

“I truly believe that I don't deserve the things I have. You've given me so much, Scully. If I knew that today would be my last day, or that I would die on the job, I'm glad that I could do it while at your side. I mean that. Some people wait forever until they find someone that makes the difference, and then it's too late but… I don't know what I'm saying. I'm just glad you're around.”

Scully was rendered into silence by his words, and she fixed her gaze to her half-entwined fingers in her lap. While he spoke, her fingers had been writhing actively, but when he stop, so did she, and now he was waiting for her to say something.

“I think Hubble is luckier than I am, to have a friend like you, Mulder.”

Her answer left more to be desired, but he did not push it further, instead just nodding. They drove in silence, each in their own thoughts. When he arrived back at his apartment, they unloaded the things and went upstairs. Mulder came in first, set some things down, and hung up his coat, but he watched as Scully put her keys on the table, put the bags on the table, and then make her way past him to check the answering machine. Hubble was on the couch and watched as Scully removed her jacket as she listened to the messages.

“Hi Mulder, it's Langly. Just calling to see if you're still good for D&D on Thursday. Feel free to invite Scully, Frohike says that he's going to make dinner for everyone, but especially Scully. Uh, delete this when you're done,” The first message said. Scully showed no reaction, fast-forwarding to the next one.

“Hello Fox, it's Dana’s mother, Margret and I'm calling to see how you would feel about joining us for New Year's Eve? Dana would be pleased. Please call back and let me know,” the second message said. Still, Scully showed no response.

“Hey, future me, I'm probably going to forget this, but I need to get eggs one of these days, and also gotta go on the computer and read more about cats. Maybe Scully might have some tips. Ok, bye future me, oh and Frohike owes you 20 bucks.”

The messages ended there, and then, carrying her coat over to the coat rack, she hung it up and then stopped to look at Mulder. He had a strange look on his face, of partial amusement.

“…why are you looking at me like that?” She asked, genuinely confused. Mulder gave her a small laugh.

“You just went through my messages like you live here,” He explained, and Scully felt her face flush.

“I'm so sorry, I forgot for a moment where I was… I didn’t mean to pry!”

“It's alright, I just thought it was a little funny because you did it so naturally. I hate to say this but… domestic life fits you well.”

Scully glanced down at her shoes, and then at the cat on the couch. She thought about the Rolodex on his desk, and the names that populated it. How many of them had Mulder met in person? How many of them had Mulder spent time with, wining and dining so he could rely on them at another time?

But she was different. She was not in his Rolodex. She knew that because he'd stuck her card in the bottom left corner of the frame that contained the picture of his sister.

She had the key to his apartment, his car, his mailbox, and his office. He had the ones that corresponded to her stuff, too. She labeled his nice and neat; he used colored tabs on the top to differentiate his and hers.

“Perhaps,” She finally said, long after it was appropriate to respond. Mulder had since moved to turn on his computer. Seeing that he had left her line of sight, she sought him out and hovered by the edge of his elbow.

“What are you working on? Or is it private?” She asked, taking a seat on the couch nearby.

“It's nothing secret, or mysterious.”

“Oh, I'm actually just asking to make conversation,” Scully noted in an airy tone, although she seemed to be genuinely interested this time.

“I'm checking my emails, and I'm going to check on the UFO newsgroup to see if anyone's posted anything,” Mulder said, as he typed in his login credentials.

“You check every day?”

“I try to. After a week, the files are deleted. I just save whatever I can, and then in my free time, I read what I might've missed. My newsreader does this for me automatically, but I still like to manually check every now and then. It's boring technical stuff, I learned on my own,” Mulder explained. She watched as he used the computer, which was an older one than what he used at work.

“Ah shit…” Mulder said, getting up from his seat, and heading for the kitchen. He grabbed a bag of sunflower seeds out of the fridge.

“What's going on?” Scully asked when he came back. He looked delighted.

“Some troll decided to crosspost an article about alien abductions on _talk.skeptics_ and _alt.ufo_. I sense a flame war coming up.” Mulder said. Most of this flew over Scully’s head, but Mulder read the messages out loud to her, and she laughed at the amount of vitriol the users displayed. It was a surprisingly relaxing evening which they spent watching a movie, talking together and playing with Hubble.

* * *

Night approached, and though Scully was curled up on the couch reading a book, and Mulder was playing a strip poker video game on the computer, Hubble’s silent pawing at Mulder’s shoe reminded him that he had to eat.

“Uh, so… Are you hungry?” Mulder asked, turning in his seat to look at Scully. Hubble climbed onto the desk and began playing for Mulder, pressing keys at random.

“Yeah, now that you mention it… Do you want me to make something?” Scully asked, sitting up.

“Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to go out. My treat.”

Scully closed her book and stared at Mulder, as though she was noticing him for the first time. He didn't look away this time—he actually met her gaze and held it.

“Alright. Did you have somewhere in mind?”

“There's a nice little café that opened up nearby I wanted to try out. Does that sound good?”

“Sure,” Scully said, standing and stretching. Her shirt rose up as she stretched, revealing the smooth expanse of skin, and her navel. Mulder glanced away, naturally. Scully noticed this, but said nothing, lowering her arms and going over to the coat rack. She put on her coat and handed Mulder his.

“You really think it's a good idea to leave the cat playing on the computer like that? Virtual strip poker, of all things.”

Mulder’s face became a shade of red, but he shrugged. He didn't think she would notice it, much less comment on it, but she did, and he found himself wanting to turn invisible.

“Well, I mean, he's a cat, so at least he won't be too distracted to play the right way…” That was all he could manage to say, but it seemed to be good enough, because Scully gave a small sigh.

She seemed a little more amused than annoyed. She was surprised; he never usually watched porn or looked at magazines when she was around, although the game he was playing was not very graphically intensive, and from what she could see, the women’s breast was virtually indistinguishable from her nose. Mulder didn't even really seem to be aroused, just embarrassed, but she wondered briefly over his fascination with pornographic materials, despite the fact he seemed to shy away from making passes at her, and most of the people he interacted with.

She observed him as he glanced at his watch, and let her questions dissipate; she did not like to think of Mulder in any other capacity than as a friend and coworker. Admittedly, he had entered her mind more than once when she found the time to enjoy her own company & fantasized about the things she would have liked to have happened to her, but the thought of Mulder being the one to instigate things embarrassed her so much that she had lost the desire to continue and ended up taking a warm bath instead.

Hubble brushed up against Mulder’s leg, and Scully moved to turn the radio on, leaving it to a talk station that sounded at a low murmur so that Hubble didn't feel alone. After giving Hubble a hug, Mulder set out after Scully for the door.

“It's not as bad as it was yesterday, Mulder, so, maybe we should walk?” Scully asked, and Mulder shrugged. So they walked, the pair of them lost in their own thoughts, until they came upon the café. They stepped inside and were directed to a table for two, by the window.

They were not the only occupants in the café, but they were the only couple there. The table was lit by candles, and the whole café gave the place a cozy feeling of familiarity. It was an intimate little spot, and this was not lost on either of them. When the waitress came for their order, they were prompt in ordering.

“This is a nice place,” Mulder started, his elbows on the table, and his chin resting on the back of his hands. Scully drew her attention to his face, noting how familiar this scene seemed to her.

“Yeah, it is. Nice place for a date. Really romantic,” She sounded aloof, and Mulder broke eye contact with her to glance out the window.

“Was that the idea?” Scully asked, and Mulder looked at her again, reading between the lines of what she was trying to say.

“No, I just thought it would be nice to try something new. Why? Do you think this is a date?”

“I don't know what this is. It's clever, I'll give you that.”

“Scully, I don't have any tricks up my sleeve or anything. I promise. I just wanted to take you out for dinner. My way of saying thanks for the stuff you brought for Hubble.” His gaze drifted out the window again, the streetlights, combined with the blanket of snow giving the street an empty and abandoned feel. The outside appeared to be an unreachable void that always seemed to be just out of focus, and inside, the words he wanted to say to her were just about the same, getting lost in the infinite blackness that remained outside of the reach of the streetlights.

“You're welcome,” Scully said, with a pause to allow the waitress to put down their meal. They both thanked her, but Scully continued,

“I was a little reluctant on the whole cat idea, but I think it's nice that you're not all alone in the apartment. You spend too much time alone.”

Mulder shrugged, but she was correct; he did spend too much time alone. He sometimes talked to his fish, however, they took to fighting when he wasn't looking and he had to separate them every now and then. They just didn't listen like they used to.

“You should come over more often,” Mulder said quietly, and Scully paused in her motion, her fork halfway towards her mouth.

“Would you like me to?” Her voice was quiet and soft, like a young child’s.

“I would. So would Hubble.”

“Would you mind if I stayed until New Years?” Scully asked, avoiding looking at his face. She didn't need to see him to know he was scrutinizing her facial expressions.

“No,” He said, and she finally met his gaze with a nervous, unsure smile. “I wouldn't mind at all. We can go over to your mother’s house together, too. I hope you don't mind the couch, though.”

She had forgotten about that, but she knew that it was something she could not miss, because her mother wanted to see the pair of them, preferably, together.

“We’ll think of something.”

* * *

When they came out of the café, they walked back to Mulder's building. It was a quiet night, but it was dark and cold, and they were in a hurry to make it back to his apartment to where it was nice and warm.

The warmth from the radiator greeted them when they walked into the apartment, and Mulder made a beeline for the bathroom. As Mulder hurried past, Hubble came over to greet Scully, who scooped him up in her arms and cuddled him. She could feel him purring, and she carried him over to the recliner.

When Mulder emerged from the bathroom, he found Scully speaking softly to the cat. He didn't want to interrupt the moment—but Hubble spotted him and meowed for him to join them. Scully glanced up at him, with a small smile on her features. Mulder sat on the couch nearby, carefully avoiding the spot on the floor where Ostelhoff had died.

“So, what are we going to do about sleeping? Sleeping on the couch every night and on the recliner isn't going to be good for us… My bed is fine, but uh…” Mulder glanced over to the door that was closed and rubbed the back of his head.

“I don't—I didn't even know you had a bedroom. Although in retrospect, I suppose that makes sense… how bad is the mess in there?” Scully asked, and Mulder got up and went to open the door. She followed Mulder as far as the doorway, leaving Hubble on the arm of the couch.

There were piles and piles of magazines, books, but mostly boxes. The boxes had numbers on them, and the magazines were all tabloids. He also had some sports equipment, and in the back of the room, she could see a bed, that looked like it had not been slept in recently. It was not as bad as she had imagined it to be, but it still looked like a disaster.

“It's not completely impassable,” Mulder said, stepping over the boxes and equipment in a way that looked too deliberate to be something he did not do often. Once he was inside, he made his way to the bed and sat on the corner.

“Still pretty good. So what do you think?” Mulder asked, looking over to the door. Scully was staring at the mess, and then she glanced at Mulder.

“I think I'll take the couch,” She said, though she knew that it wasn't going to be good on his back to take the recliner again.

“Alright, sorry about that then,” Mulder said, making his way back into the living room. Hubble, however, climbed into the room with relative ease and clambered on to the bed.

“Well at least someone is enjoying it in there,” Scully said, but she could see on Mulder’s features he was not happy. She reached out and touched his arm.

“If you would rather take the couch, I don't mind the recliner. I can see it in your face it bothers you to sleep there, so I'll sleep there.” Scully said. Mulder opened his mouth to protest, but Scully crossed her arms over her chest in a way that spoke of finality. He took a seat on the couch, relieved that he would not have to spend another night on the recliner. Scully sat next to him, however. She slid her hands on to his shoulders and began to massage them.

The touch was sudden but welcome, and Mulder felt his body relaxing as she rubbed his shoulders and worked her way down his back. He emitted a low moan of pleasure that Scully found very surprising—it was a sound she hadn't heard from Mulder. It was interesting, to say the least, and she continued, her partner melting at her touch.

“Holy shit,” He hissed, as she worked the knots of tension in his back. It was yet another intimate moment between the two, which had began to occur with an increasing frequency, and this was not lost on Scully, who now slowly worked her way up his spine. When she reached his shoulder blades, she paused, taking in the way his muscles felt, even through the fabric of his shirt.

She had never really thought of Mulder in any way other than her coworker—even when he had accepted her invitation to be her sperm donor. It was ironic then, that sitting on his couch and giving him a back massage, she started to consider him in a different way. She idly put thought into the other women in Mulder’s life. As far as she knew, they were not numerous; Mulder’s Spartan lifestyle did not lend itself to many interactions with any prospective romantic partners. His free time was spent in pursuit of the truth, and so it left very little room for anything else. It was a miracle that they could even spend any time together.

Her massage came to a close, and she withdrew from him, and waited for him to get used to the feeling. He twisted and stretched this way and about before standing and doing a more full-bodied stretch. Then he turned to look at her.

“That was—that was amazing. Thanks, I've actually never really had my back rubbed like that.” He said, scratching the back of his head uneasily. His face was a light shade of pink.

“That's a shame. It's the least I could do, considering I'm putting you out of your way.” Scully said with a shrug. There was a look on Mulder’s face she couldn't quite read, and then she recalled when he had wanted to kiss her the other day. Neither of them mentioned it again, and she was glad for it at the time, but now, it came tugging at the edges of her thoughts, whispering to be listened to. Part of her had wanted it, too.

“You know, if you're worried about getting over the mess, I can try moving this stuff so you can get to the bed. I promise it's no trouble,” Mulder said, heading for the doorway to his bedroom. Scully followed after him, hovering at his elbow, and she watched as he semi-cleared a path for her. It was still pretty dangerous—cartons of paperwork teetered precariously, but she could get over to the bed with much more ease because of his effort. She made her way inside the mess and found that once over the initial piles of stuff, that it actually was quite roomy, and not as messy as the doorway conveyed.

She climbed on to the bed with Hubble and was surprised to find it incredibly soft. It was a nice bed, and Scully continued to wonder why Mulder never used it, when he clearly still took care of it.

“Mulder, this bed is actually pretty nice, why don't you use it?”

“I do use it. I just don't use it at night. In here, I do my thinking, and reading sometimes. I also like to nap in here, but the mess… I suppose I should clean it. I also use the bed when I have a lover over.”

“Mulder, when do you ever have the time to have _anyone_ over? I have never seen you with anyone else besides me or Danny!” Scully protested, not bothering to hide her grin. He didn't answer, instead looking away and muttering about her not knowing anything.

“Well then,” Scully said, stretching out and reaching over to run her fingers over Hubble’s back, “Hubble and I will be in here, and you can be out there.”

“Alone?” His tone spoke to genuine surprise, which made Scully blink.

“Well, yeah. Unless you want the bed, and I'll have the couch?” Scully asked, as Hubble flopped over and played with her hand.

“Why can't we just share the bed?”

“Because that's inappropriate, and I don't want to share my sleeping space,” Scully answered, watching Hubble as he playfully bit her fingers.

“Fair enough, I understand,” Mulder said, with a shrug. She hadn’t thought him to be serious, but when she glanced up at Mulder, she noticed he looked genuinely disappointed. She was quick to point this out, too.

“You—you are something else, you know that? You really did mean that, didn’t you?”

Mulder looked over and shrugged again, something he did when he did not want to answer directly. She shook her head, and with that Mulder left the room, but not before getting his things, and then closing the door behind him. Scully looked down at Hubble, who was done playing with her hand, and now watching the door.

She wasn’t sure what to make of his request, but she shrugged, padding over to his drawer, and pulling out some of his things to wear as well. It was not what she would have liked to wear to bed, especially since it gave the wrong idea about them, at least in her mind, but it was better than sleeping in her clothes, and so, with his things, she left the room to go take a shower.

* * *

When she emerged from the shower, she found Mulder watching TV on the couch. He glanced over at her, and when he recognized his own things, he smirked.

“Hey, I have a pair of shorts, and a t-shirt that looks exactly like that.”

“Shut up,” Scully said, disappearing into his kitchen to get something to drink. Her response made Mulder laugh, but he watched as she came out of the kitchen a couple of minutes later and headed back for his room. She stopped outside the doorway, with her hand on the knob, but he said nothing to her.

“Good night,” She said, without looking over. Mulder blinked, sensing that something was wrong, but he did not pry, instead, replying with,

“Good night, Scully.”

She disappeared into the room and closed the door behind her, after navigating through the mess again. Climbing into bed, she paused for a moment, thinking of Mulder out in the living room, alone. She looked down at Hubble, who was already curled up and ready to sleep on the bed with her. She turned over so she was facing the cat, and with a sigh, she closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep.

Maybe an hour went by before she turned over and let out a frustrated sigh. She felt bad about letting Hubble stay with her while Mulder was alone, and though it was a silly thought—he was a grown man, after all—she remembered the genuine disappointment when he had asked if they could share the bed.

“Hubble, you should probably stay out there with Mulder, he’s all alone, you know,” Scully said softly. Hubble uncurled, stretched and hopped off the bed, heading for the door. Scully followed him and opened it, peeking her head out. She watched as Hubble climbed on the now empty couch, curling up where Mulder had been sitting before. She was about to shut the door when she spotted Mulder emerging from the bathroom, with his pajamas on, using a towel to dry his hair. He stopped when he spotted her, and then looking down at the floor, Scully said,

“Uh, Hubble wanted to join you, so I let him out. Good night.” Before Mulder could even respond, she closed the door and made her way back to bed. Once in bed, the situation did not change much. She found herself unable to sleep, and of course, this translated into tossing and turning. She knew what bothered her; it was being in the apartment with Mulder, living like a couple, and then trying to masquerade things as though they were not anything out of the ordinary. It was confusing; Mulder as much as admitted he loved her, and her presence implied the same. He had said that if he could have given her the one thing she wanted the most, he would have. And yet she wouldn't even let him share the bed. She closed him out at every turn, and though she knew why, she didn't understand how to let him in.

During her thoughts and musings, she must have dozed off because the sound of the door opening caused her to jolt awake, and she heard the familiar jingling of Hubble’s collar. She turned to look at the door, and Mulder was there, getting ready to close it.

“Mulder…” Her voice was quiet, and full of sleep, but kept him from moving all the same.

“I didn't mean to wake you, Hubble wanted to come back inside. I was just about to leave…”

“I wasn't sleeping. Please don't leave,” Scully said quietly. Mulder blinked, but stepped into the room further, being wary of the mess, and closed the door behind him, the only source of light in the room being the moonlight that streamed in from the outside.

“You need something?” He asked, his voice low, but still nervous. Scully sat up and pat the space on the bed beside her.

“I can't fall asleep. I thought since you were still up that maybe we could just sit and talk—like how we used to do when I was sick.”

Mulder nodded, and padded over to the opposite side, climbing into the bed. Hubble was between them, and for a moment, neither of them said anything. In his clothes, Scully looked small and vulnerable, and his gut instinct was to protect her, but he watched as she used a hand to brush the hair out of her face, and he realized that she didn't need any protection.

“I was watching the Twilight Zone,” Mulder started, still unsure what she wanted to talk about. He felt her hand touch his, and he held it but did not draw attention to the action.

“Which episode?”

“The one with William Shatner—in the plane?”

“I know the one. _Nightmare at 20,000 feet_. I always thought that one was silly… Until I started working with you. Then I realized how frightening it actually is.” Scully said, squeezing his hand a little. Mulder wasn't sure how to take this, so he said nothing. Scully remained silent too, sensing that perhaps her comparison was not taken well.

“Mulder, I wanted to ask you about something…” She started again, and in the darkness, she heard him exhale sharply.

“What about?”

“The other day, when we were by the window… You were going to do something, but the cat interrupted.” Her voice was breathy and just above a whisper.

“I don't remember that.” He said, and he felt her let go of his hand. He heard her sigh and moved to correct himself, but she said,

“It's alright, maybe we just aren't ready.” He felt her shift in the bed, and when he glanced at her, she was cradling the cat in her arms.

“I should probably let you get to sleeping,” Mulder said, and Scully glanced over at him, almost as though she had not been expecting it.

“Mulder, I want you to stay here. I want—I want you to sleep with me,” She said, clear as day so that he would not misunderstand what she wanted.

“Okay,” He said, after a long silence. Mulder climbed under the covers, and after putting down Hubble, who ended up climbing on the headboard and laying there, Scully climbed under the covers as well. She felt Mulder shift so that his back was against hers, and she closed her eyes, listening to his breathing and feeling his chest rise and fall as he lay there.

And then, she turned, so that she was facing his back. She slid an arm over him and buried her face in his back. This elicited a chuckle from him, and when Scully felt him move, she disengaged him.

“Sorry…” She whispered, but Mulder did not answer, turning over and embracing her in his arms. This surprised Scully, but she did not fight it, instead closing her eyes and resting against his chest. She could hear his heart beating a steady rhythm, and it did not take long for her to fall asleep in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is on the short side. I'm actually really horrible at deciding when to cut for a chapter :)
> 
> Part of it is because the very next chapter is the sex part but I didn't finish that :,)

When she woke up, she was surprised to find that Mulder was no longer there and that Hubble had his rump inches from her face.

“Wow, that's rude,” She said, turning over so that Hubble had her back. She was ready to go back to sleep when she heard the front door close quietly. She slid out of bed and opened the door to the bedroom, just as Mulder set the styrofoam cartons on the table. He put down two of his best plates, but when he heard Hubble’s collar jingle as the cat hopped over the mess that lead to his room, Mulder knew that Scully was awake and glanced over.

“What's all this?” She asked, stepping over the mess carefully, and heading towards him.

“Well, it's not really well known but—I can't cook. Not really because I don't know how—just the whole… Fire thing. So I got up early and got us some breakfast from the diner on the corner.” He explained, moving to give Hubble clean food and water.

“Mulder, that's so thoughtful of you. I really appreciate that…” Scully said, with a small smile.

“It's no problem,” He said, shedding his coat to reveal he was still in his pajamas, too. The pair of them sat at the table and began to eat, while Hubble enjoyed his food as well.

When they were just about finished, Mulder had paused, and Scully could tell he was getting ready to say something to her.

“Hey, you know… About last night… Do you think I could spend the night there with you again?”

She had put the night prior out of her mind, and once again was getting ready to block him, when she caught his eye and realized she wanted it, too.

“Okay. Thanks for not—for not trying anything.”

“I wouldn't—only if you wanted me to,” He said, perhaps a little too eagerly. This made Scully smile, shyly, as if to say, ‘we’ll see’, however she didn't respond vocally. 

When they were finished with breakfast, Scully washed the dishes, while Mulder cleaned the table and headed to the living room to watch TV with Hubble. Scully arrived a little later and was about to retire to the room when she realized she wasn't at her home. So, she sat in the recliner. Mulder had not been watching her.

“What are you looking at?” She asked, as an attempt to get a conversation going.

“It's the Fins – Pats game,” Mulder answered though he didn't seem too interested in it. There was a brief silence between them, and when Scully didn’t respond, he asked,

“Well, aren’t you going to ask me who’s winning?”

“Okay, well then, who's winning?”

“The Pats are, of course,” Mulder said, and Scully shrugged. It didn't matter to Scully, who didn't really take much more than a passing interest in sports, though. Hubble joined her on the recliner and settled into her lap, and Scully began petting him, hypnotically. Mulder watched them and smiled a little.

* * *

The rest of the day passed without much incident. The pair of them did not speak more than a few words to each other, and Hubble alternated between the two. As night fell, Scully was in the kitchen, standing over the stove to make Mulder some stew. Mulder was on the couch, playing with Hubble, and it was in that moment for Scully that everything felt perfectly fine.

The knock on the door nearly called everything to a halt, however, and Hubble disappeared under the couch, and Scully glanced over at the door, and then into the living room. Mulder looked just as confused as she was, and she silently padded to the door and checked the peephole only to find the Lone Gunmen there. She opened the door, and they came barging in, looking around cautiously.

“Okay, everything's clear,” Langly said, making his way over to where the other two were, over by Mulder’s couch.

“Why don't you guys call, like normal people?” Mulder asked, clearly annoyed, and perhaps slightly embarrassed that Scully was there as well.

“We’re being recorded,” Frohike explained, leaning it to open the shades and look out. Byers sniffled and sneezed.

“Bless you,” Mulder said, looking less than amused. “I have a life, you know.”

Byers sniffled again and rubbed at his eyes.

“You okay?” Langly asked, and Byers shook his head.

“Mulder—you have a cat?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Byers is allergic to them. When’d you get one?” Frohike asked, looking for it.

“Recently. Guys, what's all this about?” Mulder asked, and Byers sneezed again.

“We won't be long, but a friend of ours got a whiff of something fishy over in the great state of Maine,” Frohike explained.

“What's so great about Maine?” Scully asked, and the four men and Hubble glanced over to where she was standing, leaning against the wall, wearing Mulder’s things.

“Oh, we didn't realize you'd been _actually_ busy,” Byers said, regarding Scully with a nod and a sniffle.

“You sly dog,” Frohike teased, and Mulder’s face grew a shade of red Scully hadn't seen before.

“Will you three knock it off? What's this about Maine?”

“Well, let's just say that the Ball on New Year’s isn't going to be the only thing dropping.”

“Was that really all?” Mulder asked, sighing in frustration.

“Well, no,” Langly said, as Byers sneezed again, “but if you're busy with the miss, we can just leave the stuff and come back another time.”

Mulder glanced away, but Scully crossed the room to look at the folder that Langly was holding out for Mulder. Frohike’s eyes followed Scully as she walked, concentrating on her thighs, and after Mulder punched him in the shoulder, his gaze dropped to the floor. It was tempting to stare; she had only been wearing a pair of his shorts and a t-shirt.

“This doesn't look very promising,” She muttered, leafing through the photos. When she was done, she passed the folder to Mulder, who finally sat up to take a proper look at it. When he sat up, Scully sat next to him, and Hubble came out of hiding again to curl up in Scully’s lap.

“Wait, is this the little guy?” Frohike asked, staring at the cat, that obscured his view of Scully’s thighs.

“Name’s Hubble,” Mulder said dismissively, looking at the photos with the same scrutiny he gave to his work. Byers sneezed again and moved to stand in the kitchen.

“He looks like he got hit by a car,” Langly said, visually inspecting the scruffy cat.

“So do you, but I've never been so blunt about it,” Mulder said, halfway between dismissive and defensive. “At least the cat was in an accident, I don't know what your excuse is.”

“Fellas, fellas,” Frohike said, sitting next to Scully to pet the cat gently. “You know, we can always come back after Byers has taken some allergy medication, and these two have time to settle down.”

“I can't believe you got laid,” Langly said, and Scully protested quickly,

“No one is sleeping with anyone.”

“Not yet, anyway. Not with you cockblocking clowns around,” Mulder said, closing the folder and setting it on the coffee table. He glanced up at the others and continued, “so, I appreciate you bringing this to me, but I got things to do, and so when I get a chance, I'll look into it.”

"Mulder eventually had to answer the call of booty," Frohike sneered. Mulder rolled his eyes and ushered them towards the door.

The men left, after bidding the couple farewell. When they left, Mulder said,

“I'm so sorry about that. I had no idea—they usually give me an indication that they're coming by.”

Scully smiled and rest her head on Mulder’s shoulder.

“It's fine, I understand. They probably think we’re a thing.”

“Oh, we aren't?” There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

“Mulder…” He stood up and padded into the kitchen to serve himself whatever Scully had made. Scully looked down at Hubble, who was burying his face into her stomach. She carried him into the kitchen, where Mulder was serving himself some of the stew.

“Mulder, you're not mad, are you?” Scully asked, unsure why she got the impression he was. He didn't immediately turn around, but when he was done, he used his free hand to tug at his ear before saying,

“I don't have any reason to be. Why, are you offering?”

Scully still wasn't sure, and set the cat down, and slipped her arms around his waist, burying her face into Mulder’s back.

Scully felt his body relax at her touch.

“Mulder, I want you to know… Whatever it is we have, I like it. I like you, I like us, I like this. I just don't want to call it anything.” She whispered, and Mulder could feel her lips moving through the fabric of his shirt.

“I love you,” Mulder said. It was stated plainly, and quietly, and Scully tightened her hold on him. He slipped his arms over hers, lacing his fingers over hers.

Scully said nothing, hoping that the moment would fade like all the other moments they'd spent together.

“Scully, you're hurting me,” Mulder said, disengaging her. He turned to face her, and she could not look at him suddenly.

“Mulder, I… You don't need to tell me that. I already know you do. I knew it for a long time. I just didn't want to believe it was true.”

“Why?” He gently brushed away the loose strands of hair that fell over her face and tucked it behind her ear. Wordlessly, he gazed at her, and then it happened.

They kissed. This time, the cat did not interrupt. It did not last long, however, and Mulder knew, she felt the same, too.

Scully took a step back and glanced down at the space between them. There was nothing she could say. She was a mix of feelings, some good, some frightened, but she knew something had been changed, and that the next couple of moments were the most important.

“Your food is going to get cold,” Scully finally said, indicating the stew and moving to the couch. Mulder sighed, and took his bowl, remaining in the kitchen to eat.

Later that night, Scully approached Mulder while he was on the computer. He hadn't spoken to her since they had kissed, and they had largely avoided each other, but Scully was the first to break the silence. Hubble was sitting on Mulder’s lap but peeked out from the side to watch Scully.

“I did enjoy that,” Scully started, and Mulder diverted his attention to her, turning so he and Hubble could face her.

“I'm glad. I was beginning to think I'd made a mistake.” Mulder said, folding his hands behind his head. Hubble hopped off his lap and moved to gently headbutt Scully’s leg. Scully lifted him up and cradled the cat while admiring the way Mulder sat on the chair. His shirt had risen to reveal some of his navel along with the hair leading past it, and she glanced away, to hide her interest. Hubble reached up to touch a paw to her face.

“Aww, I think he's claiming you… Or blessing you,” Mulder said, sitting up, and letting his shirt fall back down. Scully made a noncommittal noise and took a seat on the couch with Hubble still in her arms.

Mulder moved to join her, and she watched as he reached over to pet the cat. He attacked Mulder’s hand playfully, and Mulder withdrew it in surprise, looking at the marks that were left. Putting Hubble down, Scully looked Mulder’s hand over and got up to dress the wounds on it.

He followed after her into the bathroom, and took a seat on the toilet, after putting the cover down. Silently, she dressed his wounds, and when she was finished, put the things away. Just as she was getting ready to leave, Mulder took her hand with his good one, and she turned to face him. He gave her a shy smile, which she returned with a nervous one. He slowly rose to his feet and dropped her hand, and they held each other’s gaze.

“Thank you,” Mulder finally said, unsure of what to say next. Scully nodded and left his company, leaving him alone in the bathroom.

The desire to be with Mulder had been there all night, but she wasn't sure how to express it. Scully had been hoping that their earlier disagreement hadn't changed Mulder’s mind about sharing the bed with her, and so when she announced her intention to head to bed after she showered, she worried that Mulder would remain out on the couch.

Her fears were alleviated when Mulder slipped into bed after her about an hour later. His movement had wakened her from her half-sleeping state, and she turned to greet him with a kiss.

Mulder was at a loss. He was not sure what prompted the spontaneous action, and on her own but did not deny it to her. When she disengaged him, she said,

“I like doing that.”

“We can do that more often if you like,” Mulder offered, and pleased at his reaction, she whispered,

“I'd like that.”

Their hands met under the sheets, and the cat’s tail dangled above them from the headboard. 


End file.
